What Is An Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC)?
An incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) refers to a U.S. phone company that provided local service when the Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened local service to competitors. ILECs provide local telephony access and may still be used where landlines operate. ILECs provide the physical network infrastructure that connects businesses and people.
Modern ILECs Uses
Today, the following may use ILECs:
Residential and business landlines using physical connections
Wireless connections that link through an ILEC office
Wireless carriers using ILECs over non-wireless networks
Cable TV operators
![Man using phone with digital overlay](/sites/default/files/styles/responsive_max/public/2024-05/Competitive-Local%20-Exchange%20-Carrier754x450.webp?itok=Uin1FjDC)